Conservative darling Dr. Ben Carson warned on Wednesday that Americans had a duty to protect gun rights in case firearms were needed to defeat a “rogue” United States government.

During a National Press Club Luncheon, Carson was asked to clarify what limits he thought there should be on the Second Amendment.

“I think there are some weapons that are probably not appropriate, like, you know, tanks,” he explained. “And I’m not sure that people should have a rocket launcher in their bedroom. But, you know, conventional weapons, I don’t have any problem with.”

Carson observed that the point of the Second Amendment was to “give the populous the ability to assist the military in case of a foreign invasion.”

“But more importantly, it’s there because if we ever have a rogue government that wants to dominate the people, the people will have the ability to defend themselves,” he insisted. “We must always protect that right.”

When it came to “assault weapons,” Carson said that conservatives who refused to engage in conversations about gun control had an “infantile attitude.”

The former neurosurgeon pointed to the Bible story of Ester, which he said meant that conservatives needed to know when to compromise for the good of the “bigger picture.”

“We have to understand that concept, be it guns, be it abortion, be it any number of things,” he remarked. “People have to be in position, the right people, people who have common sense, people who value life, people who value freedom.”

Watch the video below from The National Press Club, broadcast May 28, 2014.

About the Author

David Edwards has served as an editor at Raw Story since 2006. His work can also be found at Crooks & Liars, and he's also been published at The BRAD BLOG. He came to Raw Story after working as a network manager for the state of North Carolina and as as engineer developing enterprise resource planning software. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidEdwards.